Seattle Area Doctor Helps Cops Find His Grandfather's Killer

BELLEVUE - There is finally some closure to a case that saw a Bellevue man track down his grandfather's killer. It's a story we first told you about earlier this year.

Frank Dryman was sentenced for the 1951 murder of Clarence Pellett. He was on the run for decades since disappearing while on parole. Now, Dryman is back behind bars, sentenced again and the victim's grandson was there to see it through.

When Bellevue doctor Clem Pellett started looking for his grandfather's killer he wasn't sure he'd find him.

"We never ever thought he was alive never," said Pellett.

Clem's grandfather, Clarence Pellett picked up Frank Dryman while he was hitchhiking in a blizzard on a Montana country road in 1951.

"He missed with the first shot then in Dryman's words he dropped him with the second shot, ran up to the body and emptied the gun into him," said Pellett.

Dryman served 14 years in prison for the murder. He was paroled in 1969 but disappeared in 1972. After Clem found some old newspaper clippings about the murder he asked for help from the cops. Family friend Emily Andrews helped with hiring a private investigator to find Dryman.

"He was going by the name Victor Houston, but the officer noticed he had tattoos that matched the description we had on his knuckles that had been crossed out. He was sure at that point it was him," said Andrews.

Clem says Dryman was living in Arizona City, Arizona and was supposedly a man of God.

"He was a deacon so he could marry people he had the Cactus Rose Wedding Chapel," said Pellett.

Dryman was arrested and brought back to Prison in Montana. Clem got to see him for the first time yesterday at his parole board hearing.

"Yeah, I got a little chill. This is the man that actually did this," said Pellett.

Dryman's parole was revoked. The 78 year old will stay locked up for the next 5 years. He never apologized for killing Clarence Pellett in cold blood.

"He has zero remorse, zero," said Pellett.

Clem says he still has some unfinished business with Dryman. He'll soon have a face to face chat with the killer.

"There's the obvious questions, why, some of the obvious ones. Some I'm sure he'll avoid others he won't. For me to have complete closure I want to sit down and talk with him," said Pellett.